Saturday, December 15, 2007

Samaritans Rush SF Gunshot Victim To Hospital CBS 5 CrimeWatchSAN FRANCISCO (BCN) ― San Francisco police Saturday are investigating a Friday-night shooting near the intersection of Geary Boulevard and Laguna Street that left one male in critical condition with gunshot wounds to the head, according to Officer Ed O'Toole.

A San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency transit driver reported hearing two to six shots about 50 to 100 feet behind the bus at about 8:47 p.m., O'Toole said.

A male who had been shot in the head then drove his car into the intersection of Geary Boulevard and Laguna Street, O'Toole said.

Three to five men in a nearby vehicle reportedly stopped to help the victim and told the bus driver to call 911, according to O'Toole.

When the victim attempted to exit his vehicle, the men stopped him and drove him in his car eastbound on Geary Boulevard to San Francisco General Hospital, O'Toole said.

Witnesses described the suspect vehicle as a black or dark blue Ford Mustang or a Toyota that left the area eastbound on Geary Boulevard, O'Toole said.

Two men shot dead in San FranciscoHenry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff WriterSaturday, December 15, 2007

(12-15) 10:53 PST San Francisco --Two men were shot and killed early today in San Francisco's Mission District, police said.The men were shot at about 5 a.m. at 18th Street and South Van Ness Avenue, police said. One man was pronounced dead at the scene, and the other died at San Francisco General Hospital, authorities said.Their identities were not immediately released. Both were described as Latino men in their 20s.The assailants were described as two men in their 20s, but it was unclear whether one or both men were the shooters, police said.No further information was available.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Robbery investigators are looking into a series of armed robberies that occurred in San Francisco Monday night and could be connected, police said today.

Three of the robberies occurred within a 20 minute period in Cow Hollow, Pacific Heights, and Chinatown. Later in the evening, two other robberies occurred in the Mission District, then downtown near Moscone Center.

"We believe they are connected," said Lt. John Loftus, who heads the robbery detail. "It looks like there were a couple of guys in a car on a spree last night. It's really got nothing to do with the time of year, it's just one of those things where a couple of knuckleheads are out in a car and don't stop until they get what they think is enough to get them through the night."

Witnesses and victims gave investigators varying descriptions of the men, but police belive the suspects are three 18 to 25-year-old males who were driving in some type of dark-colored sedan, Loftus said. The victims all reported being robbed by two men, but investigators have reason to believe a third man was driving, he said.

In each of the first three cases, which occurred between 8:15 p.m. and 8:35 p.m., two men approached victims on the street, brandished guns, took the victim's property, then fled in a waiting car, police said. During the third robbery, one of the suspects pulled the victim to the ground and hit him on the head before fleeing, according to police.

During the fourth robbery, at about 9:40 p.m., a female victim was walking at Florida and 23rd streets in the Mission District when she was approached from behind. One suspect pointed a gun at her and demanded her money while the other grabbed her from behind and took her property, police said. The suspects fled the scene on foot.

The fifth robbery occurred at 3rd and Folsom streets about 10:12 p.m. The victim was walking by two men standing by a car when one of the men approached the victim and pointed a gun at her face. The other suspect grabbed her from behind and took her property, and then both men walked back to the car, police said.

Anyone with information about the robberies should call police at (415) 553-1201.

Two San Francisco men were arrested today after they allegedly fled from police in a stolen car, ran a red light and slammed into another vehicle, killing its two occupants, authorities said.

The two suspects, both 22 years old, were being treated at San Francisco General Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries that they suffered in the 4 a.m. crash, police said.

Police Capt. John Ehrlich said the stolen car, a Saturn, was driving east on Page at Broderick Street when officers in a cruiser checked its license plate and realized it was stolen. The officers turned on their lights and tried to pull over the Saturn, which accelerated down the hill and through a red light at Divisadero and broad-sided a Chevrolet Cavalier, Ehrlich said.

The Cavalier was pushed into a pole on the southeast side of the intersection, killing one of its occupants almost immediately. The other victim was extricated by firefighters in 13 minutes and taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, said fire Lt. Mindy Talmadge. The medical examiner's office has not yet identified the victims.

The force of the collision threw the Saturn through the intersection and into atree on Page Street east of Divisadero.

The man allegedly driving the Saturn, Richard Gosnell, is being held on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, felony hit and run, evading and causing death, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property, running a red light and speeding, said police Sgt. Neville Gittens. His passenger, Joshua Wilson, is being held on charges of possession of a stolen vehicle and possession of stolen property, Gittens said.

98. Cythia Sareen Weaver, 46, killed after falling from her bathroom window while trying to escape her abusive boyfriend, 24th and Folsom Streets, 11:00 p.m., the Mission. She fell on 10/03. (died on 10/20)

97. Jonisha Tucker, 16, hit in the head with a stray bullet, Hollister Avenue and Third Street, 7:37 p.m., Hunters Point., 10/14. (died on 10/16)

79. Giovanni Lechado, 28, shot along with his wife, inside a car at 18th and Bryant Streets, 6:30 p.m., the Mission, 09/04. Their 4 month-old child was in the car when they were shot. Died at SFGH, 11:40 a.m. (09/05)

*54. Paul Lenz, 41, beaten and strangled, body found at Ocean Beach, 4:00 a.m., 01/15. (Declared a homicide 06/13) *Ocean Beach is under jurisdiction of the US Park Police, so Lenz's murder is not being counted by the SFPD in their total, even though he was killed in San Francisco.

18. Liri Lesku, 34, shot while sleeping in house at 407 Kansas Street, on 02/13, at 2:30 p.m. in potrero Hill. Another woman was critically injured, and a man paralyzed in the shooting. (died at SFGH on 02/26)

11. James Gibson, 29, shot to death on the 100 block of Loehr Street, 1:30 a.m., Visitacion Valley. (02/03)

* 10. Leonard Milo Hoskins, 49, bludgeoned in his home with a peice of lumber, 60 Lamartine Street, Mission Terrace, on December 22nd. His body was not found until February 1st. * The SFPD is counting this towards 2008's total, even though the man was killed in 2007. (02/01)

2008 Justifiable Homicides

1. Leonard Michael Cole, a 55-year old homeless man, shot and killed after lunging at police officers with a knife, Greenwich and Polk Streets. (01/27)

2008 Suspicious Deaths

1. Marcos Baas-Chi, 26, killed after falling from an apartment window on the 300 block of Eddy Street, 10 p.m., the Tenderloin. (03/18)

2007 Homicide Victims (Final SFPD count: 99 Final FBI count: 100)

104. Albert Collins, 30, shot to death while sheilding his 9 year-old daughter from bullets in drive-by at Brookdale and Santos Avenues in Visitacion Valley. 3 others including his daughter were injured. (12/31)

103. Leonard Milo Hoskins, 49, bludgeoned in his home with a peice of lumber, 60 Lamartine Street, Mission Terrace. His body was not found until February. (12/23)

102. Dewayne Larry, 24, shot to death on the 100 block of Kiska Road, Hunters Point (12/17)

* 82. John Daniel Schirra, 22, found dead 2600 block of San Jose Avenue, Lakeview (09/03) *Not counted by the SFPD, who regard his death as "accidental." The Medical Examiner found trace amounts of LSD in his system, and the police believe that he was high and then stripped down, neatly folded his clothes, went outside, stabbed himself multiple times, fell and hit his head, and then knocked on doors looking for help before he died.

* 58. Hugues De La Plaza, 36, found stabbed to death in his apartment, Linden Street, Hayes Valley. (07/02) *Not included in the SFPD's count because the Medical Examiner has not yet released an official ruling on the cause of death

18. John Donaldson, 44, shot to death in car, another man critically injured, in double shooting at Third and Gilman Streets, Hunters Point (02/19)

17. Cadelia Howard, 54, found shot to death in housing complex, 1200 block of Ingalls Street, Hunters Point (02/17)

16. Tony McDougal, 33, shot at Hayes and Baker in the Western addition. He drove to Haight and Fillmore Streets in the Lower Haight, and crashed into a bus shelter at the scene of another shooting, that had occured an hour earlier, and was being investigated by police. He died at SFGH. (02/12)

2007 Justifiable Homicides

4. Marcus Harris, 37, stabbed to death by his girlfriend after he attacked her, 1500 block of La Salle Avenue, Hunters Point (09/15)

3. Rene Alexander Robinson, 45, shot to death by police when he charges them with two large knives, after he stabbed a man to death (Homicide victim #22) and attempted to hijack a car and stab the inhabitants, 7th and Townsend Streets, SoMa (03/07)

1. Mario Vargas, 36, of Daly City, shot to death by police outside pizzeria, 5145 Mission Street, after pointing a gun at officers, the Mission (01/28)

2007 Suspicious Deaths and Unverified Murders

4. A man was reportedly shot in the face at 24th and York Streets, in the Mission, after which he got in his car, drove a block, crashed, and according to witnesses, died. There was no news, and his death is not recorded on the SFPD's crime maps. Did he not actually die? Did he die from the accident, and not the bullet? (mid-July)

3. Edgar Garcia Torres, 22, killed when a gang member and convicted felon running from police slammed into his car, Third and Quesada Streets, Hunters Point. This was ruled vehicular manslaughter, but another death under almost identical circumstances (homicide #32), was considered a murder. Not sure what the reasoning is. (04/18)

2. Joshua Glasser, 26, found naked, handcuffed, and suffocated, with a plastic bag around his head, in a ransacked apartment, 1900 page street, the Haight. Heard that this was considered a homicide, but later heard it was considered as "suspicious." (02/19)

1. Homeless woman reportedly shot to death, 401 Haight Street, Lower Haight. There was no news story, so it is unsure if the victim died (mid-January)